Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has said all issues like excessive rubber deposits, water stagnation and cracks that were red-flagged by the DGCA in the past were addressed and rectified by the Kozhikode airport operator.
In a series of tweets, Mr Puri said raising such concerns is the normal work of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation. He said that the aviation regulator strictly ensures that these are complied with and rectified under all circumstances. This was done by the airport operator. His comments came after various news reports stated that the DGCA had issued a show cause notice to the director of the Kozhikode airport in July last year after it found various critical safety lapses in different places including the runway and the apron.
Mr Puri said, an enquiry has been ordered under the Aircraft Act in case of the Kozhikode accident and black boxes of the flight have been recovered and findings of the investigation will be made public.
The Minister asked people to exercise patience and refrain from making speculative observations bordering on the irresponsible. He said he is continuously taking stock of the situation arising due to the accident in Kozhikode and holding meetings with senior officials.